More than 2,500 Boeing 737s in the United States need service. The American aviation authority FAA reports that there may be a defect in a pressure switch of the aircraft.
The FAA has no jurisdiction over other countries, but, likely, the 737s are also controlled in the rest of the world.
According to the FAA, the chance that a pressure switch will fail is much greater than previously believed, posing a safety risk. If the pressure in the cockpit is lost, pilots can quickly lose consciousness when flying at high altitudes. They then have to put on an oxygen mask within tens of seconds. This has led to several planes crashes in the past.
In August 2005, for example, a chartered plane from Helios crashed into a mountain north of the Greek capital Athens. An investigation later revealed that the air pressure in the aircraft had dropped due to a pilot error. As a result, all 121 occupants lost consciousness. Nevertheless, the aircraft continued to fly until it ran out of fuel.
It is yet another problem with Boeing aircraft. For example, it was announced earlier this week that the aircraft manufacturer would deliver far fewer 787 Dreamliners than planned this year. This is because a manufacturing defect was discovered in the aircraft near the nose. In addition, the 737 MAX was grounded for more than a year after two crashes caused by a computer system.